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Topic: The finished product using ZEP. (Read 1423 times)

I finally got the RV back yesterday and started applying ZEP to the rest of the trailer. I had done a couple of areas 2 weeks ago but had to leave to go to a fair. Then it had to go back to the buffer. The days are getting real short here so it took him a while. He works at a Ford garage in the daytime as their auto detailer. The guy finished buffing it. It had a lot of oxidation. It came out pretty good. I applied 3 coats on the entire rig. The front end cap ended up with 4 coats. I am very pleased with the way it came out and I would recommend it. I purchased 2 gallons on Amazon. I did the entire trailer on about 3/4 of a gallon. A gallon goes a long way. Now we'll see what it looks in about a year. Keeping my fingers crossed.

3 coats is probably OK, but 5 is recommended by those that have applied it and 5 is what we did on ours, It has been 2 years now with only one maintenance coat at the end of a year and it still looks great. We just got a compliment from another Bounder owner today. Chuck

3 coats is probably OK, but 5 is recommended by those that have applied it and 5 is what we did on ours, It has been 2 years now with only one maintenance coat at the end of a year and it still looks great. We just got a compliment from another Bounder owner today. Chuck

Thanks Chuck. I think I'll go for at least one more. Bob T, It's no work at all. Just put some on a micro fiber cloth and wipe it on. Just make sure there are no runs before you move onto another section. I would say it actually takes about 1 hour or a little lomger to do a coat. It takes more time to move the ladder.

Yes it is easier than waxing but I'm not saying it's better than waxing. Some here on the forum are dead set against using ZEP and that waxing is the only way to go. I don't profess to know what is the best process. I just know what works for me. Many members here have had excellent results and some have had poor results. I think that much of the issues are created by a poor prep job.

I have been using Zep for a number of years and came up with a lazy way to apply. Using a Swiffer covered with a micro fiber cut to fit the applicater and taped on. Then pore just enough Zep to cover the bottom of a container, dip the Swiffer in, drag it across the edge to remove most of the Zep . I can do most of the coach standing on the ground.

I have been using Zep for a number of years and came up with a lazy way to apply. Using a Swiffer covered with a micro fiber cut to fit the applicater and taped on. Then pore just enough Zep to cover the bottom of a container, dip the Swiffer in, drag it across the edge to remove most of the Zep . I can do most of the coach standing on the ground.

Bill Dane99 Country Coach Allure

Bill, that's a great idea. The only concern I would have is that it mat be difficult to see any runs. And I have soooo many things that will create runs. Awning arms, trim pieces, vents, door frames, ladder, topper mounting brackets etc. I'll do it by hand. Thanks anyway for the idea. It may help others.

I just went out and did coat #4 and #5 on one side. #4 did make a difference but I'm not so sure about #5. I'm still going to do the remainder of the RV with a total of 5 coats. An extra coat can't hurt I don't think.

I plan on stopping at a Blue Beacon Truck Wash (1 hour from my final destination) on the way to FL in a couple of weeks. Anyone know if their soaps will affect the ZEP?

I just went out and did coat #4 and #5 on one side. #4 did make a difference but I'm not so sure about #5. I'm still going to do the remainder of the RV with a total of 5 coats. An extra coat can't hurt I don't think.

I plan on stopping at a Blue Beacon Truck Wash (1 hour from my final destination) on the way to FL in a couple of weeks. Anyone know if their soaps will affect the ZEP?

We used Blue Beacon once and never again. The coach looked terrible after whatever they used on it. There were stains and splotches all over after it dried, and after a few months, we have still not been able to get it all back to what it was.

We used Blue Beacon once and never again. The coach looked terrible after whatever they used on it. There were stains and splotches all over after it dried, and after a few months, we have still not been able to get it all back to what it was

Strange, last year on our way to FL, we pulled into the same one we're going to use this year and they did a excellent job. They washed the entire 5vr and the truck and applied a coat of RainEx and only charged us $47.00. They had one guy who was the boss with about 8 little monkeys going all over my set up RV and truck.. He cracked the whip. I see you're also from FL. I used the one just off I-75 at Exit 285.

3 coats is probably OK, but 5 is recommended by those that have applied it and 5 is what we did on ours, It has been 2 years now with only one maintenance coat at the end of a year and it still looks great. We just got a compliment from another Bounder owner today. Chuck

Chuck, when you say "one maintenance coat" are you saying to just wash it and apply one coat of ZEP?

What Zep product are you using? Zep makes hundreds of products from glass cleaner to drain cleaners and most things in between, including lube sprays and bearing grease. After reading this thread I googled Zep and still couldn't decide what you're using.

What Zep product are you using? Zep makes hundreds of products from glass cleaner to drain cleaners and most things in between, including lube sprays and bearing grease. After reading this thread I googled Zep and still couldn't decide what you're using.

Keep in mind, a gallon goes a long way. I ordered 2 gallons and only used about 3/4 of a gallon on the first jug. I have a new second jug which I may never use.

What Zep product are you using? Zep makes hundreds of products from glass cleaner to drain cleaners and most things in between, including lube sprays and bearing grease. After reading this thread I googled Zep and still couldn't decide what you're using.

We used the drain cleaner followed up with a good coat of bearing grease

Hopefully this works. What your seeing in the 1st picture is the reflection of the colorful trees in the slide out wall. I also did all my vents and access doors like for the fridge, stove hood vent, furnace and water heater.The last 2 pictures show the reflection of my porch railing.

Thank you for posting this information. Looks like buffing down the finish before applying the ZEP is an important step. I'd just do the higher portion of our coach as the Pledge seems to work really well on the base area.

One question for those of you have been using ZEP. What do you wash the RV with when it does get dirty? I'm concerned about using something which will remove the ZEP I just put on. I see that ZEP produces a neutral concentrate floor cleaner. I wonder if that's what we should use.

I did ours with a different acrylic floor polish with similar good results. I put on about 4-5 coats, can't remember exactly and it held up well for a long time. What I wanted to do, and I still feel like this would have been a good plan had I had time to pull it off was after the primary application, let it cure for a a couple weeks to a month, then do a light "maintenance coat" thing right away to kinda smooth it out.That plan fell apart and I didn't do the maintenance coat till maybe a year or so. I'm way past due doing another. I think now it might need a good scrubbing and reapply several coats. It's been a whileMaybe here in a another month or so when it cools off a bit more I'll bring it home and do it....

I did ours with a different acrylic floor polish with similar good results. I put on about 4-5 coats, can't remember exactly and it held up well for a long time. What I wanted to do, and I still feel like this would have been a good plan had I had time to pull it off was after the primary application, let it cure for a a couple weeks to a month, then do a light "maintenance coat" thing right away to kinda smooth it out.That plan fell apart and I didn't do the maintenance coat till maybe a year or so. I'm way past due doing another. I think now it might need a good scrubbing and reapply several coats. It's been a whileMaybe here in a another month or so when it cools off a bit more I'll bring it home and do it....

Brad, what will you wash it with? I think it has to be something real mild so it doesn't remove the polish. I was thinking of using a few drops of Dawn in a 5 gallon bucket of water.

yeah, just regular soap and water.Before I did the original application though, I scrubbed it very hard and thoroughly with barkeeper's friend hoping to break off the oxidation.My read on it is that any soap and water or normal car wash cleaners are fine after the application. I did notice though when doing some work around my leak issue, that solvents really cut the polish... that's what you want to stay away from... acetone, mineral spirits, WD-40 probably.... that'll remove it.Mine isn't zep brand, but I feel like it's basically the same thing...

I'm no expert here but I read when doing the finish on my RV, that using dish soap takes the gel coat off. Ironically that is what I used when I cleaned my coach but it was dull anyway. Perhaps previous owners had clean it that way. So I wonder if that might remove the ZEP or part of it?

On your roof I was wondering if you could clean it (scrub it some) then spray with a disinfectant like Lysol to kill mold? Again, no expert here but thought that might get you where you want to be.

Dish soap WILL NOT remove gelcoat. It will remove wax and in time will also remove the Zep, but it will take a while since Zep is an acrylic and not wax. Washing the roof with it will not harm anything as long as you do a good rinse of the sides. Chuck